Back-to-back balks add wrinkle to wacky inning at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO -- The bizarre finish to a bizarre first inning at Wrigley Field on Sunday afternoon: Two consecutive run-scoring balks.

Padres right-hander Logan Gillaspie -- called up Sunday morning before San Diego’s 8-7 victory over the Cubs -- committed a pair of infractions that led to balks with catcher Carson Kelly at the plate. The first caused a wave of confusion. The second was perhaps even stranger, albeit much easier to decipher.

Gillaspie was called for his first balk, according to an announcement from plate umpire Mark Wegner, because he paused during his windup. Gillaspie had informed umpires of his plans to pitch out of the windup, but on the 1-0 pitch in question, he seemed to start his windup before coming set in a stretch position and delivering the pitch.

The umpires convened on the infield before speaking with Gillaspie and awarding the Cubs a run, while the two other runners advanced to second and third base, respectively.

“If you stop your windup, in that situation, that’s ruled deceiving the [runner],” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “So it’s a balk. And then, he did it again.”

After Kelly had worked the count full, Gillaspie committed another balk when he wound up, only for the ball to slip out of his hand, just as he was set to release the pitch. The ball bounced closer to the Padres’ dugout than the plate. Time was called, and the Cubs’ fifth and final run of the inning came in.

Gillaspie later revealed he tried to stop himself because he believed he had committed the same infraction that led to his first balk -- even though no balk had been called initially.

“I guess I didn’t know you can’t stop in the windup,” Gillaspie said.

The two balks were not the only bizarre aspects of an opening frame that lasted 46 minutes and featured seven walks, eight runs and only four hits -- three of them infield hits.

The Padres opened the game with a three-spot in the top of the first, before left-hander Kyle Hart labored in the bottom of the frame. He left after 39 pitches with the game tied at 3-3 and the bases loaded.

Into that cauldron stepped Gillaspie. With the Padres in need of long-relief help, Gillaspie had been called up to the big league club on Sunday morning. He boarded a flight from Oklahoma City, where the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were playing a series, then arrived at Wrigley Field a few hours before first pitch -- and was thrust directly into the action.

After the balk issues, Gillaspie valiantly covered four innings, as the Padres stormed back from a four-run deficit.

“Listen, that’s a tough spot to come into,” Shildt said. “He goes back out, and he gets [into] the fifth inning. That’s huge. … Man, he threw the ball great. I told him when he came out: ‘You won us a ballgame today.’”